Typewriting-machine



I E. e. LATTA.

TYPEWRITING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED fEB 23, 19174 Patented Feb. 17,1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEEI E. G. LATTA.

TYPEWRITING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 23, 191:.

1,33 1,442. Patented Feb. 17, 1920.

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A #o/weya E. G. LATTA.

TYPEWBITING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED ran. 23, p911.

Patented Feb. 1?;1920.

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EMMIT G. LATTA, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 17, 1920.

AppIication filed February 23, 1917. Serial No. 150,328.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, EMMIT G. LATTA, a citizen of the United States, residing at Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Typewriting- Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates more particularly to improvements in front strike or visible writing typewriting machines.

One object of the invention is to produce a visible writing or front strike typewriter equipped with a complete set of finger keys in a full size keyboard, type-bars actuated thereby, and a platen and other cooperating parts, such as are usually employed in the standard makes of typewriters and in which all of the operative parts are mounted in substantially constant relationon a single main frame which is adapted to be lowered from, its operative position so as to occupy comparatively small space for convenience in transportation.

Other objects of the invention are to pro vide the main frame with a movable or folding support which supports the main frame in an inclined operative position and is adapted to be moved to permit the frame to be loweredbodily from the inclined operative position to a recumbent position in which the machine occupies much smaller space; and also to improve typewriting machines in the other respects hereinafter described and set forth in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a typewriting machine embodying the inventi 11, showing the same in the recumbent position to which the machine is moved for trans portation.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of the typewriter, showing the same in position for use, the supporting segment for the type-bars being indicated by broken lines and some of the type-bars and other parts being omitted.

Fig. 3 is a side elevationof the upper part of one of the rear supporting legsfor the machine. r

Fig. a is a fragmentary plan view, partly in section, ofthe machine, some of the parts shown in Fig. 2 beingomittcd.

Fig. 5 is a sectional plan view of one side of the frame and the supporting legs therefor, showing the legs in their folded or inoperative position.

The typewriting machine comprises, as usual in the standard makes of typewriters, finger keys A arranged in banks or rows, preferably four rows at the lower front portion of the machine, the paper platen B journaled to rotate on a transversely movable carriage arranged at the upper rear portion of the machine at an elevation above the keyboard, and the printing instrumentalities preferably comprising type-bars C pivoted in the usual segmental order and the connections whereby the type-bars are actuated by the operation of the finger keys. Other parts of the machine, such, for instance, as the paper feed rolls D, the ribbon spools E, the paper table F, carriage escapenient wheel Gr,feed pinion H, and rack bar I on the carriage meshing with the feed pinion for controlling the letter space movements of the carriage, and the driving spring barrel K for the carriage are indicated in outline in the drawings to show their positions and relative arrangement in the machine. All these parts may be of usual or well known construction. so long as they are located between the planes indicated by the lines cit-72 and c-rl in Fig. '2. They are mounted in the relative positions indicated in the drawings and above briefly stated, on a single or rigid main frame which in the normal or operative position of the machine inclines upwardly and rearwardly with the rear portion of the frame and the platen and other parts mounted thereon at an elevation above the keyboard, the frame being nor mally held in this position by a support which is adapted to be moved or folded to permit the main frame with the operative parts carried thereby and retained in their normal relation, to be lowered bodily to a recumbent position, as shown in Fig. 1, where by the machine is adapted to be placed a carrying case of the small inside dimensions indicated by the broken lines .a b-c-.d in Fig. 1.

The main frame comprises side plates 1 and 2 rigidly connected, preferably by front and rear end bars 3 and 4 and an intermediate bar 5 which supports a guide or track 6 for the platen carriage. The bar '5 is preferably providedwith rearwardly pro or cushions 16 of rubber or other suitable.

material permanently secured to'their lower ends. The rear legs are longer than the front legs'and the two pairs of legs are arranged in front and rear of the center of gravityof the machine. Stops, not shown, are provided to prevent the rear legs from swinging farther to the rearthan shown in Fig. 2, and the weight of the machine prevents forward movement of the legs in the use of the machine. The two front legs are rigidly connected to each other by a cross rod 17 and are connected to the rear legs by a pair of links 18 and 19. The legs are thus retained in their relative positions and form a movable or folding support for the mainframe, and are all caused to move in unison when they are swung from their supporting position shown in Figs. 2 and 4t tothe folded position shown in Figs. 1 and 5, and vice versa. The connecting links 18 and 19 are offset,as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, to clear the feet of the rear legs when they are moved from one position to the other. A coil spring 20, see Fig. 3, is housed in the hub of each of the rear legs with one end 21 bent outwardly and entering a hole in the adjacent side plate and the other end hooked into the leg as shown. These springs act to swing the legs downwardly and rearwardly to their supporting positions when ever the machine is lifted from the recumbent position shown in Fig. 1 to permit such action. The springs assist the weight of the machine in holding the legs in supporting position. Obviously the pivoted legs forming the support may be made higher than shown, or differently proportioned to give a desired inclination to the machine, or to fold backwardly instead of forwardly.

To lower the machine for close packing or convenience in moving, it can be pushed rearwardly-withone hand, while one of the rear legs is held by the other hand from sliding on the table. Then as the machine 'holdit'down withthelegs folded. -When the operative.:position;.shown inFig. 2,

the highest part of the machine is approximately seven inches above the table top. This is so near the average height of standard machines in general use that it is not objectionably low for the operators of other machines. The height of the machine when lowered is reduced to approximately three and onehalf inches, and the complete machine can be packed in a rectangular case of the inside dimensions indicated in Fig. 1. which is approximately only three-hundred and sixty-four cubic inches.

. In order to permit the machine to be lowered as shown in Fig. 1, the type-bar ient is located very near the plane ab or O the lower edges of the side plates 1 and 2, and the printing instrumentalities are arranged so that no fixed part of the key lever system projects below that plane. It is also desirable that the upper bank of keys be near the free ends of the type-bars when the bass are at rest. These parts are preferably constructed and arranged as follows:

25, 26, 2'? and 28 represent key stems consisting of heet metal stampings of four different patterns, one for each of the four banks of keys. 29 indicates a series of arms pivotally mounted in a slotted bar 30 on a common pivot wire 31 and having their front ends pivoted to the key stems. 23:3, 33 and 3% represent a series of bell crank levers having forwardly projecting arms pivoted by shouldered rivets to the lewer ends of the key stems, and uprightarnis connected by links to the type-bars C. The bell cranks are mounted in slots in the front side of a horizontally curved supporting bar 36 on a correspondingly curved pivot wire. The ends of the bar 36 are or ved upwardly and outwardly to clear the links 18 and 19 when the supporting legs are folded. This also facilitates machining the front side of the bar to admit the pivot wire. These bars 30 and 36 can be secured to the side plates of the frame in any suitable manner. In Fig. 2 only the three bell cranks for the lowest, the highest and an intermediate type-bar are shown. A series of springs 37 connected to the bell cranks and to a metal strip 38 secured to the bar 30 actto restore the keys and connected parts to their normal positions.

The type-bars are pivoted in a slotted segment of usual form arranged as indicated by broken lines at 39 in Fig. 2, with its plane inclined slightly to the rear so that the impressions are made slightly above the front center of the platen. Thc typebars each have two characters and the segment is mounted on the free ends of arms 4:0 and 4-1 rigidly connected to rock shafts t2 and 4.3 to be shifted. to upper case positions by depressing a key 4.4- on a shift lever 1-5 fixed to the rock shaft 42.

The upright arms of the bell cranks are of graduated lengths increasing from the cen ter toward the ends of the series, and in order to insure like action of the type-bars in both case printing positions of the segment, the pivots connecting the bell cranks to the links 35 are located in lines extending at right angles to the plane of the segment midway between the normal and shifted positions of the pivotal connections between the links 35 and the typedoa'rs. As the front ends of the bell cranks are all pivoted to the key stems in the same vertical plane, their action on the type-bar is equalized by pivoting them, as before stated, on the horizontally curved bar 36 and graduating the lengths of their forward arms. If the bar 36 were curved enou h to fully equalize the action of all of the 'ell cranks the curvature of the, bar would interfere with the proper action of the bell cranks near the ends of the bar, and to avoid this the bar is preferably curved as shown and the cranked ends of a few of the type-bars at the ends of the segment are made slightly longer than the others, so that the upper ends of the upright arms of the corresponding bell cran rs may swing greater distances. In this way the desired movement of the typebars is obtained with substantially equal depressions of the keys. Sincethe keyboard, which is of standard size, is wider than the type bar segment, and lb is desirable to have the links 35 entend in parallel lines from the bellcranks to the type-bars, the forward arms of most of the bell cranks are offset outwardly, and their upright arms inwardly, as shown in Fig, 4, the ends of the arms where pivoted to the key stems and to the links being parallel with these parts,

and the fulcrum parts of the bell cranks being about midway between and parallel with the planes of their ends. The upright arms of a few of the bell cranks 32 at the middle ofthe series are curved as shown in Fig, 2 to clear the bar 30; the others are straight, The pivots connecting the key stems to the bell cranks are shown as being in the same horizontal plane with the pivots for the bell cranks inthe bar 36. This applies power to the bell cranks to the best advantage, and produces slight acceleration of motion. The connection of the links to the type-bars also produces an accelerating motion of the type-bars in the usual way.

ll hen this machine is lint cred the heels of the central type-bars strike the table top and cause the segment and type-bars to rise tothe upper case position. The type-bars then show above the side plates of the main frame and the shift key 441 is depressed as seen in Fig. 1.

While the above described construction and arrangement of the operative parts of the machine are desirable, other constructions and arrangements thereof could be employed with the frame and its support constructed as described and set forth in the claims. The operative parts of the machine should, however, be arranged so that'they are all located substantially between the plane a@ of the lower edges of the frame side plates 1 and 2, and a plane 0-cZ par allel therewith and substantially tangent to the upper side of the paper platen, in order to enable the machine to occupy the smallest possible space when the support is folded or detached.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a typew iting machine, the con1bination with a rotatable platen, a series of inde endentl 7 movable t oe-bars and a keyboard compris ng finger keys for actuating the type-l of a frame on which all. of said parts are mounted and which in its normal position supports the platen at the rear of the machine with its axis at a higher elevation tian the type-bars and finger keys, said ty Je-bars bei novable to printing positions in a su stantially upright plane at tic f1 at norti n of the platen, said frame and said parts supported there by bein loaded between two substantially parallel planes which in the operative position of the machine in e upwardly and rearwardly from points adjacent respectively to the top and bottom of the keyboard, and a movable support which wholly supports said frame in an elevated operative position and movable to permit the frame to be lowered. bodily from such elevated position to a lower inoperative position.

2. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a rotatable platen, a series of independently movable type-bars, and a keyboard comprising finger keys for actuating the type-bars, of a frame on which all of said parts are mounted and which in its normal position supports the platen at the rear of the machine with its arzis at a higher elevation than the type-bars and linger keys, said type-bars being movable to printing positions in a substantially upr plane at the front portion of the platen. said frame and said parts supported thereby being located between two substantially parallel planes which in the operativeposition of the machin incline upwardly and rearwardly from points adjacent respectively to the top and bottom of the keyboard, and a folding support which wholly supports said frame in elevated operative position and is foldable to permit the frame to be lowered bodily from such elevated position to a lower inoperative position.

3. In a typewritinp; machine, the combination with a rotatable platen, a series of independently movable type-bars, and a keyizo board comprising finger keys for actuating the type-bars, of a frame on which all of said parts are mounted and which in its normal position supports the platen at the rear of the machine with its axis at a higher elevation thanthe type-bars and finger keys, said type-bars being movable to printing positions in a substantially upright plane at the front portion of the platen, said frame and said parts supported thereby being located between two substantially parallel planes which in the operative position of the machine incline upwardly and rearwardly from points adjacent respectively to the top and bottom of the keyboard, and front and rear pivoted supports which wholly support the frame in an inclined operative position andare movable to permit the frame to be lowered bodily from such elevated position to a lower inoperative position.

i. In a typewriting machine having a platen, type-bars arranged to strike the front of the platen, and a keyboard, a main frame which supports said parts in substantially fixed operative relation to each other,

and connected pivoted supports in front and rear of the center of gravity of the machine which hold the frame in an elevated operative position and are adapted to be noved in unison to lower the frame bodily from said elevated position to a lower po sition.

5. In a typewriting machine having a platen, type-bars arranged to strike the front of the platen, and a keyboard, a main frame which supports said parts in operative relation to each other, and front and rear pivoted supports of different lengths on each side of said. frame adapted to be moved to swing the main frame from an elevated higher than its front end.

7. In a' typewriting machine having a platen, typebars arranged to strike the front side of the platen, and a keyboard, a mainframe which supports said parts in substantially fixed operative relation to each other, folding front and rear supports on each side of the main frame, said rear supports being of greater length than the front supports, links connecting said front and rear supports and said front supports being rigidly connected-t0 each other, whereby all of said supports are caused to move in unison.

8. In a typewriting machine having a platen, type-bars arranged to strike the front of the platen, and a keyboard, a main frame which supports said parts in substantially fixed operative relation to each other, and front and rear pivoted supports for the main frame connected to move in unison inside of and parallel with the sides of the main frame.

9. In a typewriting machine having a platen, ype-bars arranged to strike the front of the platen, and a keyboard. a single main frame on which said operative parts are mounted and retained in substantially constant relation to each other, and a support which rests on a supporting surface and wholly supports said main frame in an elevated inclined operative position free of the supporting surface and is capable of movement'from its normal position to permit the machine to move bodily and rest in a recumbent position with the lower edges of said main fra me on said su iporting surface.

10. In a typewriting machine having a rotatable platen. type-bars pivoted below the platen to strike the front of the platen, and a keyboard connn'isin actuating finger keys for the type-bars, a single main frame on which said operative parts are mounted. and retained in substantially constant relation to each other and substantially between the plane of the lower edges of the sides of said frame and a parallel plane tangent to the upper side of the platen, a d a support which wholly supports said main frame in an elevated operative position with said lower edges inclined upwardly and rcarwardly anl is capable of movement from its normal position to permit the machine to move bodily and rest in a recumbent position on said lower edges of said main frame.

11. In a typewriting machine having a rotatable platen, type-bars pivoted below the platen to strike the front of the platen, and a key-board comprising actuating finger keys for the type-bars, a single main frame on which said operative parts are mounted and retained in substantially constant relation to each other, and a support which wholly supports said main frame in an inclined operative position and is capable of movement from its normal supporting position to a position substantially within the main frame to permit the machine to move bodily and rest in a recumbent position on the edges of said main frame.

Witness my hand, this 15th day of February, 1917.

EMMIT G. LATTA. lVitne sses LURA B. LATTA, Gonnln P. SLOAT. 

